Method and medical apparatus for measuring pulmonary artery blood flow

Abstract

In a method and apparatus for examination and evaluation of a blood flow in a pulmonary artery of a patient, measurement data are recorded, from which at least a part of the blood flow in the pulmonary artery is able to be re-constructed at least two-dimensionally in a plane defined by a longitudinal axis of the pulmonary artery and by an anterior-posterior direction, including at least at several diastolic points in time in the course of a heart cycle, after a closure of the pulmonary valve. The number of diastolic points for which an asymmetry in relation to the longitudinal axis of the pulmonary artery in the anterior-posterior direction exists is determined. A measure is then determined that characterizes how long, after the closure of the pulmonary valve, the aforementioned asymmetry exists.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention concerns a method for examining a human or animal body with regard to a blood flow in the pulmonary artery. In addition the invention concerns a medical imaging apparatus for implementing such a method. Such a method is especially used in the examination of patients with a pulmonary hypertension or with a suspected pulmonary hypertension or with a pulmonary hypertension occurring when the body is under stress.[0003]2. Description of the Prior Art[0004]Pulmonary hypertension (abbreviated “PH” below) is an illness characterized by an increase in the pulmonary artery pressure. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (abbreviated “PAH” below) is a subgroup of PH. The definition of PAH has been established in the usual guidelines. It relates to the mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) and not to the systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) and to the exclusion of basic conditions such as serious lung or left ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0015]An object of the invention is to provide a method that supports a user in examinations within the context of diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension in a reliable manner and that can be implemented substantially independently of the user. Furthermore it is an object of the invention to specify a medical imaging apparatus with which such a method can be implemented.

[0025]In addition the recording of the measurement data can be undertaken without application of contrast media, which enhances safety for a patient. Overall the method is fast, simple and risk-free.

[0027]This enables screening examinations to be implemented in a simple manner providing a user with reliable intermediate results with which a user can assess the existence of a pulmonary hypertension as likely or less likely. The prognosis of pulmonary hypertension, which is bad regardless of its genesis, especially if the diagnosis is conducted late, can be improved In this way without having to have recourse to invasive examination methods.

[0029]In an embodiment, during the step of recording the measurement data the measurement data is recorded such that from the measurement data at least one part of the blood flow in the pulmonary artery is able to be reconstructed three-dimensionally. In this way the detection of the asymmetry with regard to the longitudinal axis of the pulmonary artery in the anterior-posterior direction is possible more exactly and more quickly, since three-dimensional data of the blood flow is available in order to detect a specific flow behavior. The danger of overlooking a specific flow behavior since a two-dimensional plane may possibly not run exactly through the area with the characteristic flow behavior of the blood flow is in this way significantly less.

[0035]In a further advantageous embodiment variant a predicted value can be determined with the use of the determined measure which characterizes the pulmonary blood pressure. In this way the method is developed into a method for examination of a human or animal body in relation to a blood pressure. In particular a prediction value for the average arterial pulmonary blood pressure can be determined. This can be done for example using a correlation held in a memory of a processing unit. Examinations have revealed in such cases that the period during which the specific flow behavior exists correlates well with a measured mean pulmonary arterial blood pressure in a linear or logarithmic manner. The method is sensitive, fast, simple and risk-free. It can be used both as a screening method, for follow-ups as well as possibly as a replacement for an invasive examination.

Problems solved by technology

The prognosis of the PH is bad regardless of its genesis, especially if the diagnosis is made late.

This examination is invasive however and must be carried out by experienced personnel to obtain reliable data and to keep the risks low.

The costs of such an examination are high.

These types of results were not able however to be reliably reproduced by other working groups.

Most of the methods described therein have not been able to establish themselves.

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